Sad Day For Indian Cricket

I felt really bad after India got beaten 3-0 by Aussies in 1999-2000 series. But at that time everyone knew of their credentials while playing abroad, so the pain sunk relatively quickly.

But a 4-0 pasting by England will leave a mark that would stay for very long. I am not speaking for the Indian Team members, but I speak for the cricket crazy followers like me who have seen the ends of the spectrum in last 3-4 months.

The nailing if you may call it will hardly have any bearing on the Indian team barring someone like a Dravid, Tendulkar or a Laxman, for obvious reasons:

1. These three gentlemen, though aging, take pride in their performance at the higest level and I assume want to exit on a high.

2. Apart from these men, others will take it as a bad dream and focus on the Champions League, which promises them huge moolah. Many like Gambhir and Bhajji have already been named in their franchisee's full strength squad.

I am baffled to see the careless attitude shown by BCCI and the selection panel. I dont think Raina deserves a place in the test setup? The man can't handle rising deliveries on slow and low Indian pitches, how the hell can he face them on quick and bouncy alien pitches. IPL has weakened young cricketer's roots. Youngsters have lost the temprament and patience to fight it out in tough and testing situations. They see pain and testing times of a test match as far more demamding than then the lucrative and moolah ladden 51 days of IPL.

If this is how its going to be, then why can't there be three separate teams for Tests, ODI and T20? Let some one like, Raina, Yuvraj, and other blasters play only T20s and ODIs and groom people like Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma for tests. A good test player can play and perform well in any format. Similarly, let a spinner...correction...a darter like Bhajji and medium quickies or utility cricketers in play in T20s and ODI format. Bowlers like Ishant, Praveen, Munaf, Aaron, Umesh Jadav, Mishra and Ashwin in test, where they can bowl more and learn the art of bowling out a batsmen and not be content with containing the batsmen.

This is a time for introspection and to see how things can be brought to back to normality. If like earlier times the issues are swept under the carpet, it won't be long before we find ourselves back in the 90's era.

God bless India.

T20 - A Disease

Millions of dollars, instant fame, after match parties and much more is the T20 that we have come to know. 20 overs is what it takes to excite and encourage spectators to rush to the grounds and go back with a feeling of getting their hard earned money worth the show.

Amongst all this aren't we forgetting something? There is no CRICKET left in the cricket matches now.

Gone are the days when batsment felt a sense of satisfaction when they hit a cover-drive all along the carpet or a bolwer working out a batsman and dismissing him. Neither the quickies enjoy bowling their quota of 4 overs nor the tweakers indulge in foxing the batsmen with flight, drift/dip and guile.

Welcome to the age of BANG-BANG cricket.

Unlike the English avatar T20, the India version IPL has caught not only the spectator's eye but the players are willing to leave their national commitments aside for an IPL berth. And when I say this I am referring to the current international players and not the retired old blokes. Infact IPL which was a counter move to tarnish ICL (Indian Cricket League), was established on the lines of ICL of hiring the services of players who have hung their boots or who were not currently serving their international sides, to play along the Indian domestic players in order to enhance their skills. Four seasons on we did not see many old blokes gracing the field with their presence and their brand of game. If any were hired find themselves in the coaching staff of the franchisees.

The T20 format has slowly and steadily started to affect the next crop of players who were at some point of time in future destined to replace currrent era's Tendulkars, Dravids, Pontings, etc. Forget about driving down the ground with a straight bat like Tendulkar or dead batting a scorcher bowled at 150 kmph like Dravid or hooking/pulling a quick bowler like Ponting, the T20 generation knows only one way to play...HIT OVER THE TOP.

I remember when Kieron Pollard played in the inaugural Champions League and then there was talk of him featuring in the WI line up, Michael Holding said in an interview that Pollard IS NOT A BATSMEN and does not deserve a plce in the WI national team.

He hit the nail and it applies to all the youngsters who have started their careers with T20.

India's dismal show in England is a proof of this. Look at Raina, Yuvraj and Dhoni, they may have murdered the bowlers in the T20 format, but they have failed to lay bat on bowl in England. It seems that they are playing with a bat which is thinner than a hockey stick where as Dravid's look like as broad as an entrance door.

Indians preferred to play the IPL immediately after the WC instead of preparing for the crucial series' abroad. Many of them realized they were suffering from serious injuries only after their respective IPL teams were all but out of the competition. People like Sehwag, Gambhir, Zaheer could have skipped the 2 months long IPL and got their injuries sorted out and played in WI to get into the TEST match groove. But I guess IPL money was far more inspiring than the national duties.

But who can blame them, it has always been the money hogging BCCI who would have pressurised them to play in the cash rich league. The absence of WC winning Indian stars would have hit the TRPs and the cash flow for the BCCI.

It would be interesting to see when and how the cricketing world counters this plague called T20.

Numero Uno...I doubt It!!

It pains a lot to say this but beign a hardcore CRICKET fan, I must admit that Indians can't be the top team consistently. I am not referring to the current state where ENG only needs to draw the next 2 tests to become #1, but I am referring to it in a long term.

It seems they have forgotten everything they achieved under Kirsten. I am sure Kirsten would surely had given them an earful and would have blasted them left right and centre. He is not one of those who would have taken this tour lightly and would have made sure that no stoned was unturned. But, considering the fact that he is no more with India and his successor not as efficient, things are looking gloomy for the Indians.

What really surprises me is the fact that the Indian cricket team do not take any pride in being at the top. Unlike the Aussies in their prime, they seem to lack the hunger to win at any cost and the intent to annihilate the opposition. In the series it looked like they did not value thier status and had a feeling of being invinsible.

What pisses me off is the careless attitude shown by SEHWAG & GAMBHIIR. These two shameless people were fully fit to play the IPL and when they realized that their respective teams were all but out of the tournament had they realized that they were carrying niggles developed during the WC. These idiots had close to 4 months (spanning IPL and WI tour) to get their niggles sorted out before the ENG tour, but they were OK with India loosing the test matches in ENG at the cost of getting huge pay-cheques from their IPL bosses.

There is a feeling that the Indian cricket team thinks that now that they have won the WC and are the #1 test side, they have achieved what they wanted to and hence no special efforts are needed to maintain that. This is the attitude that had lead to their downfall.

Look at Raina, Yuvraj, Mukund and other newbees, they score tons of run in domestic circuit, bully Indian and international bowlers in IPL, but still fall prey to the rising and moving ball while touring abroad. Its a matter of shame for India that these very players will be the backbone of Indian Cricket once Sachin, Dravid and Laxman decide to hang their boots.

All the joy and pride of winning the WC and #1 test status seems to be going down the drain. If this continues for any longer then it wont be long before we find ourselves in the sorry state of mid-90s.

Bunch of shameless blokes.

Invading The Home Of Cricket

Even before the tour to the West Indies 2011 comes to a close, every one has started talking about the galactic clash between India and England. Not because of the history between the two sides and  when I say history I am referring to the English ruling India for 200 odd years, but because of a couple of simple reasons:

• India right now are the top side in world cricket. With #1 test status and the World Cup 2011 in their kitty,  they look un-stoppable.
• England have done well in last few years and for an english fan nothing beats the high of winning Ashes, which they did recently in Aussie land.

On such a platform the series is being hauled as the Ashes killer. English like many western countries have already started playing the mind games. Many former and current english players have already predicted an overpowering show by english team gaining them the REAL (not on papers and un-official ICC) #1 status.

The english fans, players from past and present want the curators to prepare fast and bouncy wickets that would suit english team and would blow away the Indian (hold this tought, i ll get back to this shortly). With a battery of towering fast bowlers who can generate good carry and bounce even on placid pitches, England attack looks formidable. And to talk about the batting line up star studded with Strauss, Cook & Trott (the ugly three) can cause havoc at the top of the order.

And on the other end we have the Indian. A team that is seriously under-strength, lacking the the MEN that made it count in their recent ascent to the top. With such a depleted side, they have shown the character in tough situations. Be it the 3-2 win in ODIs in WI or the test series under way.

With the news of all the Indian players regaining fitness and coming out of their respective injuries, the team looks good, atleast on paper.

1. Sehwag
2. Gambhir
3. Dravid
4. Tendulkar
5. Laxman
6. Raina
7. Dhoni
8. Bhajji
9. Ishant
10. Zaheer
11. Sreesanth

Possible Sqaud Memebers: Yuvraj, Pujara, Kohli, Munaf, Praveen, Mishra, etc.

Coming back to the point of fast and bouncy pitches in England. I sincerely hope english curators prepare the fastest and the bounciest pitches they can. Let us see what Indian batters are made of. It will be a good test for India batters against;

• Mr. Anderson: I always felt that Ajit Agarkar was the most enigmatic bowler, Mr. Anderson defeats him to the pole.
• Broad: Sixer kid with an influential father preventing him from the umpires's wrath.
• Tremlett: Needs to be careful of not intruding a bird's flight trajectory.
• Finn: No comments.

Once Indian batters have been tested by these gentlemen on fast, bouncy and green english surfaces, I would love to see how English stand up to the India pace, or should I say Medium Pace battery.

• Zaheer: A half fit Zak is good enough for all the english batters. English had to play with his head last time around to counter him. Jelly Beans...anyone.
• Ishant: Looks to have got his pace, bounce and rythm back.
• Praveen: Will be a handfull on seaming English pitches. The extra bounce and juice will help him.
• Munaf: The absolute miser. Minimum effort maximum gain.
• Sreesanth: Now what can I say about him. The world knows of his on-field exploits with and without the ball. Should be a asset if he keeps his cool.

                                                        RIP Grave Stones
                                             Blowers Who Got Blown Away.
                                                    2008 - Aussies @ Perth
                                                 2010 - SAffers @ Centurian
                                                 2011 - English @ ?????????

England your are next.

Bhajji's Depleting Box Of Tricks

Bhajji has been a great servant for Indian cricket, although on sub-continental conditions in past, but his performances in the last 2-3 years dont buy him a place in the current Indian side. What results does he have to show to command a place in the team as a lead spinner? He has been a sitting duck when toured abroad and he has been toothless even in sub-continental conditions. The recent performance against Sri Lanka where in he could only managed less than 5 wickets in the 3 test series. Like Kumble, Bhajji hasn't done enough to improve his bowling skills with age.

He is a dud bowling on fast pitches and a waste while playing on Indian dirt bowls and places alike. The fact remains that Bhajji is living on his past laurels. He should be rested/dropped for good 6-12 months. Allow him to find his lost art, which I feel he never had.

I still remember in year 2001, when Bhajji single handedly won the test series against the mighty Aussies. Mr. Erapalli Prasanna, the wiley offie from the famous Indian spin quadret, wrote an article on Bhajji's bowling. The statement was...THE OFFIE NEEDS TO MIND HIS LINE. This was something I could not digest at that time, considering the success Bhajji had tasted. But quickly I realized how true Mr. Prasanna was. Almost all the dismissals against the Aussies were either caught down the leg side or of bounce that Bhajji generates. None of them were classical off-spinners dismissals. There were no CAUGHT-N-BOWLEDs and hardly any BOWLED THROUGHT THE GATE while the batsmen tried to play the cover drive.

Bhajji has always bowled the middle and leg line, which works well with players with lesser skills. To get good batsmen out, a spinner needs the following skills:

1. Flight: He does not flight the ball. Never above the batsmen's eye level.
2. Line:   He always keeps it at the middle-leg stump. Hence no BOWLED and CAUGHT-N-BOWLED dismissal.
3. Speed: He darts them at the stumps. Batsment play him off the back foot like a medium pacer.
4. Drift: It does not come naturally due to his action. Neither he attempts to generate any.

Even at this stage of his career if Bhajji can take some time off from the international games (like Zaheer did in 2006 and made him the spearhead of Indian fast bowling) and focus on the genuine off spinning skills, he might be half of what Murali and Kumble were.

If he doesn't, others like R Ashwin, Abdullah, Rahul Sharma, etc are waiting to push him out.